Vote!

True or False?

Not everything we read or hear on TV and radio is true. See the fact checkers at the bottom of this page to help you check the truth (or not) of political campaign claims.

Voting Rights

When the Constitution was written, only white male property owners
had the right to vote. Check this Chronology of Voting Rights to see how things changed.

Welcome

Welcome to our guide on U.S. elections and the voting process.

In order for a democracy to work effectively, its citizens must be educated and informed about issues of the day and about the candidates who run for office.

This guide offers information about elections and the voting process in the United States, about political parties, candidates for office, issues and propositions on which you'll be asked to vote, about who funds different candidates and propositions and other topics which will help you become a more informed voter. We hope you find it useful!

The information below tells you how to get started by registering to vote. Then use the tabs at the top of this guide to gather the information that will help you make decisions about how you want to vote.

Fact Checkers

Each day, journalists and researchers from the St. Petersburg Times and CQ (Congressional Quarterly publishers) fact-check the accuracy of speeches, TV ads, interviews and other campaign communications, then post their findings to the PolitiFact website. The site offers a "Truthometer, "a scorecard separating fact from fiction," for analyzing political claims. You can browse the "Truthometer" by candidate or attacker, by subject, by political party. Claims are rated "true, mostly true, half true, barely true, false or 'pants on fire'." @politicfact on twitter> ... on Facebook

"A nonpartisan, nonprofit, 'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics." From the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, this project monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. @factcheckdotorg on twitter ... on Facebook

FlackCheck.org is a video-based counterpart to Annenberg Public Policy Center’s award-winning program FactCheck.org. FlackCheck.org uses parody and humor to debunk false political advertising, poke fun at extreme language, and hold the media accountable for their reporting on political campaigns. --- The "Stand by Your Ad" page suggests ways you can let broadcast stations where you live know that you do not want them to air deceptive third party campaign ads.

Beginning at 8:0 P.M. on election night, the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters reports on the County's votes for national, state and local office, statewide ballot propositions and local ballot measures.